Four Times Delphine Kissed Cosima's Clones (and One Time She Didn't)
by captain-jaybird
Summary: It starts with Sarah, and before she knows it Delphine is thrown into the rabbit-hole, kissing clones left, right, and center. Cophine, mostly fluff, light angst in places.
1. Sarah

DYAD's annual gala was one of the most important events of the year, and Delphine was doing her best to network. Turning, she caught sight of a familiar, and welcome, face.

"Cosima," she called gently, happy to see her newly reconciled girlfriend.

"Hey…"

"You came," Delphine said, on her way already towards the brunette's lips. She cupped Cosima's face in her hands, and kissed her gently but firmly.

"You won't regret this, I promise," she continued, thrilled Cosima had actually shown up. Turning again, she saw Leekie. _Merveilleux!_ "Aldous, look who it is!"

"Uh, no no no," Cosima protested, but Delphine was already cutting across her denials and grabbing her arm.  
"Mademoiselle," Leekie greets, arm extended. I wasn't as sure as Delphine that you'd come."

"Here I am," Cosima laughs unconvincingly. "Um, doesn't mean I'm gonna sign your contract though." Delphine is a bit disappointed, but this is still better than she expected, and she's careful not to let it show on her face.

"A starting point," Leekie says graciously. "We're in uncharted waters. Really, it's all up to you."

"Okay. I want my own lab," Cosima shrugs, and Delphine cannot keep the stern expression off her face as she crosses her arms. This is beyond cheeky.

An awkward silence follows. A voice over the intercom calls for Leekie, and he starts to exit. "That's my cue. Cosima…you have a bright future ahead of you. This is the best place you could be right now."

Cosima smiles, and pulls Leekie into a hug. Delphine cannot contain her shock. "Thank you, Doctor Leekie," Cosima says…with a British accent. _Oh. Oh no_.

"You're Sarah."

"Yeah, nice to meet you too," the clone, so different from her Cosima, replies. _How could I not have seen this?_

"Does Cosima know you're doing this?" she asks, concerned for her lover.

"That depends on it I get caught. Now, where are Kira and Siobhan?"

_Oh Cosima,_ Delphine thinks, _what a mess of trouble we're in now._


	2. Alison

Delphine is at Felix's loft and Alison is very drunk. Felix and Sarah have gone outside to discuss Kira, faces serious, and Cosima is in the bathroom (_not coughing, please not coughing, _Delphine thinks). Alison is looking at her intensely, and Delphine jumps a little, started out of her ruminations. For a moment, the scientist wonders how someone with her lover's face could look so different—sharper, harder somehow. _Perhaps it is the haircut,_ she muses.

"You're like Donnie, but _not_ like Donnie," Alison slurs suddenly. "Sneaky, spying spies."

The guilt, familiar by now, settles in Delphine's stomach. As she opens her mouth to speak, to defend (apologize), Alison rambles on. "But you kiss her like you love her. Donnie kisses like he should," Alison hiccups. "He has a role to play, I know it."

"I do love her," Delphine says, but then opens her eyes in shock as Alison lurches forward, unbalanced, and kisses her ungracefully, almost missing her mouth. As soon as she's recovered from her surprise, the blonde gently takes the drunk clone by the shoulders, and pushes her away.

"I wanted to see what it was like," Alison says sadly, "but you don't love me."

"You're all different," Delphine says, and means it. She is long past the days where Cosima was 324B21, and all she saw was sequences of identical DNA, over and over again. Alison may share a face with her sister, but she could never be the woman the scientist loves.

"I guess you're right," Alison says, and settles back on the couch. Before Delphine can say something comforting, maybe about Donnie, maybe about monitors, maybe even about love, Cosima comes back in the room, and the French woman pretends not to notice the way she wipes her hand across her mouth.


	3. Rachel

Her heels clack as she strides down the hall, and while the scientist cannot shake her anxiety (_fear_), she tries to still the tremors in her hands. Cosima's life could be on the line, and she must be brave.

"Come in," a clipped British voice replies after she knocks. "Ah, Dr. Cormier," Rachel Duncan says, her face as neutral, but somehow slightly condescending, as always. _She looks at me as if I were a subject in a pteri dish_, Delphine thinks.

"I came about Cosima. Subject 324B21," the scientist corrects herself. She swallows, nervous. "I understand you've put a block on her treatment."

"Yes, that is unfortunate," Rachel says, laconic. "It's a shame, really. But until Manning comes to heel, all our resources must be concentrated there. I'm sure you understand."

It's a lie, Delphine knows, DYAD has more than enough funds and personal to pursue both objectives at once. Cosima's life is just a bargaining chip to Rachel, and the French woman tries a different track.

"The illness is genetic," she says. "You could get it too. By stopping her treatment, you could be delaying saving your own life."

Rachel looks up at her from her stack of papers, her expression unreadable. In a few quick, deliberate steps, she strides across the room, standing too close for Delphine's comfort.

"You really do love her," the clone murmurs. "Astonishing." Decisively, she pulls Delphine's head towards her and kisses her. It's harsh and domineering, but the blonde scientist doesn't pull away. Cosima's life is at stake.

"I've never seen any reason I can't have what my 'sisters' do," Rachel says when she pulls away. She delicately swipes away the smudge of lipstick at the corner of her mouth with a finger. "I'll think about lifting the ban on 324B21's treatment."

Delphine leaves the office. She knows she should be happy, but she can't shake the heaviness settling into the pit of her stomach.


	4. Helena

Helena is back, Sarah is with Kira, Alison and Felix are out practicing theatre, Cosima is working in the lab, and Delphine is left babysitting Helena, a victim of the puppy dog eyes from her girlfriend she was unable to say no to. "Food's your best bet," Sarah had said, gruff, and gestured towards the kitchen as she dropped her off. It did not shock Delphine that the woman still regarded her with suspicion, although it did sadden her.

However grudgingly the advice had been given, it had worked. Helena sat in front of a small mountain of wrappers and the scrap ends of things she'd eaten, and showed no signs of stopping. Delphine was just starting to worry that Helena might eat her way through her and Cosima's weekly groceries when the clone stopped and looked up at her.

"You are a scientist, yes?" Helena asks, gesturing with her fork (Delphine tries not to react to the bit of food that flies off of it).

"Yes," Delphine replies, hesitantly. She does not know what Helena wants, if anything at all.

"You are with DYAD, the shepherd people," Helena continues. "But you are just a little sheep who thinks she's a shepherd, _baa, baa._"

Delphine doesn't know what to say, but the scientist is starting to be nervous of the fork still clutched in Helena's grasp. She had heard what the rogue clone had done to Olivier, even if Leekie had been the one to pull the trigger.

"You lie down with beasts," Helena says, gaze sharp. "But you also lie down with my _sestra's_ sister." Helena cocks her head. "Why does she do this?"

Delphine cannot answer. Truthfully, she does not know how Cosima comes back to her each time, betrayal after betrayal. The uncertainty of it has given her more than her fair share of sleepless nights. The scientist is so lost in her thoughts, and Helena is so quiet, that she does not notice until it is far too late and Helena is far too close. The fear spikes in her chest, _mon Dieu_, until she notices the hand that's reaching for her doesn't hold a fork. Helena cups the back of her head, stands on her toes, and kisses Delphine.

It is a quick, chaste kiss, and as Helena rocks back on her heels, Delphine gasps "_Que…?_"

"Now I understand!" Helena laughs. "_Mwah, mwah,_ kissy scientist!" She laughs all the way back to her seat, and despite herself, Delphine can't help but laugh too.


	5. Cosima

"Cosima!" Delphine calls as her girlfriend steps through the door. "_Ma ch__é__re,_ you will never believe what I have to tell you."

"What's up, Delphine?" Cosima replies. "Shit, you're not going to tell me you got Helena baked or anything, right?"

"No, I did not get her 'baked'," the blonde replies, running the still unfamiliar word over her tongue. "But I believe I have now kissed all your clone sisters."

Cosima drops the coat she had been in the process of hanging up. "What," she says, "I mean what?"

"You know about Sarah already of course," Delphine waves her hand slightly, "and I told you about Alison, and Rachel." The scientist does not miss the way Cosima's gaze darkens over the mention of that stolen kiss, and hurries on. "But today Helena of all people kissed me."

"Helena kissed you," Cosima says. It wasn't a question. "Why, exactly?"

"She, ah, wanted to know why you want me, because I 'lie with beasts'."

"Lie with…oh, DYAD." Cosima cracks a grin. "Well, did you convince her?"

"I believe so, yes." Delphine looks at her girlfriend coquettishly. "But having now conducted an unexpected experiment, I can empirically say that out of all your clones, you are the one I want to be kissing most."

"Oh yeah?" Cosima says, coming closer.

"_Oui,_" Delphine firmly replies, standing up and pulling her lover into an embrace. "Very. Much. So." She punctuates each word with a peck on the lips, and ends her statement with a deeper, lasting kiss.

"And now, I believe I should show you more," Delphine whispers, starting to pull Cosima to the bedroom door.

"Oh, hell yeah." Cosima follows her, looking forward to the night to come. "Thank god for crazy science experiments."


	6. author's notes

This was my first fic in ages and ages, and my first for Orphan Black. I had a great time finding each character's voice-especially Helena's (forget Helena/food, Helena/animal noises OTP). I'm working on getting back into the writing game, so I'm completely open to prompts and suggestions! Thanks for reading :)


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